German-Iranian friction boosts Bratwurst prices

Published: 24 Feb 2012 12:31 GMT+01:00

The beloved Nürnberger Bratwurst is the latest victim of escalating tensions over Iran's nuclear programme. German butchers complained Friday that the diplomatic crisis was driving up the price of sausage casing.

In shock news for Germans everywhere, the sausage industry is feeling the rising cost of importing sheep intestines from Iran, leading Nürnberger Bratwurst producer Claus Steiner told The Local on Friday.

Sheep intestinal lining – a key ingredient in making the sausage – is largely imported from Iran, which has a 500-year history of trading animal by-products. But this may change, as the price of sheep gut has almost tripled in the past 18 months.

A year and a half ago 90 metres of intestinal lining, enough to encase about 1,000 delicious bratwursts, cost just €6.30. But now the same length costs a whopping €17.20 - an alarming price hike that sausage-loving Germans may feel come barbecue season.

“There’s no replacement for a Nürnberger Bratwurst,” said Steiner, owner of the successful self-named butcher's chain.

The Nürnberger is a traditional German delicacy made of finely ground pork, cased in intestinal lining and seasoned with marjoram. By European Union regulations, it can only be called a Nürnberger Bratwurst if it's made in the Nuremberg area – like Parma ham, or champagne.

“I don’t think customers will stop buying them, and we’re not expecting a loss in sales. They will just be a little more expensive,” said Steiner.

He explained that the price increase is not only down to heated political relations between the two countries, but a global decrease in the sale of meat products.

“Sheep intestinal lining is a by-product, not a reason a sheep is slaughtered.” Steiner said. “So if less people are buying meat, less sheep are being killed and less lining is available.”

Though meat trade is decreasing worldwide, Iran has experienced a swell in demand for intestinal lining from China, which until recently had very little demand for animal guts.

With Iranian intestines at a premium, Steiner is looking into importing from other countries such as Egypt, which also exports sausage casing.

“Another option is pig lining, but the taste is just not comparable to sheep,” he said.

Your comments about this article

If the cost of this raw material has gone up from EUR 6 to EUR 18 for a 1000 piece bratwursts, this means the cost of raw material per piece is still under 2 cents, while earlier it was a little more than half CENT. It's difficult to think that this would actually effect the retail price on sale of individual pieces of Bratwurst.

@anurag_bagaria: Good analysis and viewpoint, but you forgot to add the expected profit return which will also be passed on to the consumer. What, maybe 100% to 200%, or more, times the number of bratwurst the normal consumer purchases,.........begins to add up.

Carlm's is the poster boy for all the stupid right wing American zealots who are nothing but greedy, self serving righteous b@stards. Intensely angry and bitter, in-your-face provacateurs who are intent upon destroying any semblance of civility that may have existed in the US.

They know it all and believe that they have GOD n their side of any issue. They are scared freaks of nature, too stupid and arrogant to understand how intensely pathetic, yet dangerous they are.

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